The scheme – currently being piloted in London – sees used coffee grounds converted into biofuels.

Waste management firm First Mile collects the waste, held in special recycling sacks, from over 100 Nero stores in the greater London area and transports them to bio-bean. Bio-bean, an award-winning clean tech company that has industrialised the process of recycling waste coffee grounds into advanced biofuels – then transforms the coffee waste into advanced biofuels.

By the summer it is expected the initiative will have produced enough biofuel to power the equivalent of over 450 homes.

Matt Spencer, Commercial Director of Caffè Nero, said “We are always looking at ways to improve our recycling so we are very excited to be working with First Mile and bio-bean on this initiative and will seek to extend it beyond Greater London. We are committed to doing our bit to help address the recycling issues we all face today.”

According to Caffé Nero, bio-bean is also looking at methods of refining the oils found in coffee ground into bio diesel which could power vehicles.